Reliable transportation for Christian Stokes

Hi all!

Our good friend Christian Stokes can use our help. The Cadillac he bought to replace his HHR turned out to be a lemon. He can only make local trips because it tends to overheat. It needs a new head gasket, and that kind of auto repair work isn't cheap.

Christian needs reliable transportation to go to and from auditions, gigs, and work. I believe if we all pool our money, we can help him either fix the Cadillac or buy a reliable used vehicle. Maybe he can sell the Cadillac to a stunt coordinator that needs a car to crash or blow up. (If so, shoot some video, Christian!)

I really respect the fact that Christian has had the courage to follow his dream all these years while some of us have postponed our dreams for safe 9 to 5 jobs.

If you know Christian, you know he has a heart as big as Texas. He would gladly give you the shirt off his back if needed, and he’s quick to give words of encouragement to people who are hurting. He always tries to see the good in people even when we often can’t see it in ourselves.

I often call Christian my “brother from another mother.” He’s my brother in Christ, and he’s been a true friend since high school.

Want an example of Christian's kindness?

After I split up with my ex-wife in the summer of 2010, I stayed in a homeless shelter for a short time. However, the people that ran the shelter had a strict curfew. Residents were required to be there by 7 p.m. each night. At the time, I was teaching a night class at Angelina College, so I wound up living and sleeping in my truck.

When I had the money, I would stay at a campground outside of Nacogdoches. If it wasn’t raining, I’d unroll my sleeping bag in the bed of my truck. I also learned that I could park my truck in the back lot of a Nacogdoches truck stop if necessary. (In the heat of the summer, locking my doors was kind of pointless because both windows and the back glass were open.)

Long story short, Christian and another friend of mine loaned me the money to pay the deposit and first month’s rent for a small, one-bedroom garage apartment to keep me from sleeping in my truck.

Christian's faith in God’s providence has been inspiring for those of us who are believers. He’s been living by faith since he got a job as a stuntman with a Wild West show at Six Flags ago all those years ago.

Sometimes, God works through his children to meet a need, so this is our chance to step up and pay it forward to a guy who has helped many of us over the years.